Chapter 26: The Autumn Scenery of My Hometown is Pleasant
Chapter 26: The Autumn Scenery of My Hometown is Pleasant
The vehicle that drove to my hometown was still the limited edition Land Rover Defender Lingji Jianshan series off-road vehicle with a retro color scheme that I had seen in the morning.
The off-road vehicle was driving on the long and wide asphalt road, which was so long that it seemed as if there was no end in sight.
Because of some heavy topics, the two people were in a heavy mood, and the atmosphere in the car seemed particularly quiet. When the annoying smell gradually enveloped them, the car finally arrived at a house not long after.
Feng Yichen parked the car next to the century-old banyan tree that was already lush and leafy.
There were several other cars parked sideways in the shade of the trees.
One of the cars was a Bentley Mulsanne with a license plate number that he was familiar with. The front of the car was facing the double vermilion lacquered gate of the house.
In the middle of the plaque hanging high above the door lintel are engraved the powerful characters "Hometown·Xinglinju".
Chi Shu followed Feng Yichen into the gate. Looking up, he saw a blue brick screen wall with a "pine and crane longevity picture" inlaid with black stone. Turning around the wooden corridor wrapped with honeysuckle vines, he saw the scene in the front yard of this courtyard.
Unlike the drizzly and damp weather in the morning, the autumn sun in the afternoon has already filled the air with warmth.
On one side of the courtyard stood a pharmacy, shrouded in mist. In front of the door stood a patch of medicinal plants planted with a variety of herbs. Bamboo winnowing baskets hung around the wall held dried cornus officinalis and honeysuckle. Under the windowsill, where schisandra berries hung, Polygonum multiflorum vines still clung to the bamboo frame.
Looking further out, there's a flower garden. As the seasons change, the medicinal plants in the soil also transform, taking on different shapes, creating a striking contrast with the clusters of trumpet creepers hanging from the window panes...
It is obvious that there is no shortage of various plants that can be used as medicine or for viewing all year round.
On the other side stood a hexagonal pavilion. On the stone table beside the bamboo couch in the pavilion were placed a medical book that was about to be finished and an open roll of acupuncture equipment. The ginkgo tree beside the pavilion had dropped golden fragments all over the ground under the urging of the autumn wind and time, adding an indescribable lingering charm to the strong autumn atmosphere in the courtyard.
Walking along the winding blue brick path in the center of the courtyard, I came upon a stone arch bridge spanning the central pond, where the light of the sky and the shadows of clouds drifted across. On the opposite bank of the pond, across from the pavilion and corridor at the other end of the bridge, hibiscus trees were in full bloom in the autumn sun...
Behind the nearby flower wall is a field of autumn chrysanthemums, some tucked in and some spread out. Further ahead is a pharmacy, its compartments filled with dried herbs or medicine bags...
As the fragrance of flowers and herbs and the spicy aroma of various medicinal herbs quietly floated in the warm autumn sun, Chi Shu slowed down her pace along with time. She turned to look at Feng Yichen and asked with some doubt:
"here it is……?"
"It's a health resort, and it's also where I lived when I was a kid." Feng Yichen turned his head and looked back at her.
Chi Shu couldn't imagine the connection between the two, but she didn't ask any more questions. She just asked:
"Why did you bring me here?"
"My uncle is a Chinese medicine practitioner. Many people come to see him because of his reputation. I would like him to diagnose you and see what treatment you need."
After Feng Yichen explained the reason, he continued:
"You don't have to feel burdened. Now that you're here, just relax and take a look. Your current condition requires treatment no matter what. Compared to the crowded hospital or your home where no one will take care of you, this place is a pretty good choice. Besides being able to accompany you, the environment here is also more pleasant, isn't it?"
Chi Shu wanted to say something more, but Feng Yichen's words made her unable to find the words to refuse, so she could only express her sincere thanks, and she was naturally moved.
As the two of them walked and talked, Feng Yichen noticed that the person he was looking for had not been seen in the entire front yard, and he guessed in his heart: It seems that there are quite a few guests visiting today.
Therefore, when he was planning to take Chi Shu to rest, he happened to see several people walking out of the reception room. The one in the middle who was chatting and laughing with the guests was his uncle Feng Mingqi.
Seeing him coming, Feng Mingqi called him over and introduced him to the guests.
After all, he will be needed to take charge of the group's related industries in the future.
Because, when Feng Mingqi decided to pursue a medical career, Feng Yichen's father had already shouldered a lot of the burden alone. Now he could only make up for it as much as possible through Feng Yichen.
Moreover, whether it was for Feng Yichen, the poor child who lost his mother at a young age, or for Feng Yichen's father, or for Feng Yichen's deceased mother, Feng Mingqi wanted to dispel some old regrets as much as possible.
After the guests left, Feng Mingqi turned to look at the two people standing side by side and asked Feng Yichen:
"Who is this little girl?"
"Her name is Chi Shu. I brought her here today to ask you to take her pulse." Feng Yichen replied.
Feng Mingqi nodded: "So that's how it is." He suddenly realized that she was Chi Shu.
Feng Yichen turned to Chi Shu and introduced her: "Chi Shu, this is my uncle."
Chi Shu greeted politely: "Hello uncle, I'm sorry to bother you so suddenly." But she felt extremely regretful in her heart. She should have asked clearly in advance. They were in such a relationship, but she came to his house so rashly. It was too abrupt.
Feng Mingqi responded with a smile: "No problem, come with me."
Outside the tea room, the afternoon sun filtered through the gaps between the leaves of a fiery red maple tree, casting tiny patches of light on the walnut table and armchair beneath the tree. The swaying branches and leaves also fanned the wisps of hot air wafting from the coarse pottery tea sets.
In the tea room, Feng Mingqi had already known Chi Shu's general physical condition by taking his pulse, and after observing, smelling, and asking questions, he had a complete understanding of the appropriate treatment plan. He then wrote a prescription and said to Feng Yichen:
"Based on her current condition, I'll start with a course of treatment. If I have nothing else to do, I'll also prepare some medicinal food. You all should come together. Now, take her to the wing room and let the acupuncturist you know here at the acupuncture center perform the procedure. She's far better than I was back then, so you can leave her care with confidence. Bring this prescription and treatment plan with her for her reference; she'll understand what I mean."
Feng Yichen took the prescription, said goodbye to Feng Mingqi, and took Chi Shu to the wing room in the corner courtyard.
Looking at the backs of the two people leaving, Feng Mingqi felt deeply moved:
If it weren’t for those days, I would still be able to open the box of acupuncture with ease... Well, it’s all in the past.
…The weather, as if telling of the relentless nature of time, was so noisy that all I could hear was the wind blowing through the kitchen windowsill. Footsteps flashed by, slipping away silently amidst the rush. By the time I realized it, it was already evening…
When he thought it was almost time for a break, Feng Mingqi asked Feng Yichen to bring Chi Shu to have dinner together.
The round table in the restaurant was filled with seemingly light medicinal food, but it made Chi Shu, who had a special physique at the time, have a very good appetite. Feng Yichen was also relieved by this.
The unexpected dinner ended in a restrained yet pleasant atmosphere, and the elder and two younger generations returned to the main house and the wing room in the backyard respectively.
Chi Shu was drowsy from the aroma of mugwort during acupuncture during the day, and it also replenished her physical strength from the whole afternoon's fatigue. Now she was not sleepy at all.
So Feng Yichen accompanied her to watch the moon in a corner of the courtyard.
The pine shadows and moonlight outside the courtyard create an ethereal and quiet Zen feeling, which makes people feel peaceful.
Chi Shu was wearing a newly bought set of soft and comfortable casual clothes, with a thin blanket draped over her body. She was holding a moxibustion box in her hand to warm her abdomen. The backrest of the tall bamboo chair behind her was padded with a long-staple cotton cushion that Feng Yichen had specially laid out for her.
She looked at the bright moon between the pines at night, and said, as if murmured or whispered:
"Feng Yichen, thank you for today. If it weren't for you, I don't know where I would be now."
"Well, I have received your thanks, but if you thank me again, I will feel unworthy. After all, I also have selfish motives. You don't know how worried I am today, and at the same time how lucky I am. I am lucky that I have been waiting and lucky that you are willing to come." Feng Yichen said this very bluntly, as if he didn't want to leave her any room to retreat.
The air was silent for a while. Without waiting for Chi Shu's response, Feng Yichen said again:
"Do you know why I decided to bring you here today?"
This time, without waiting for Chi Shu's answer, Feng Yichen continued, "Besides your sudden physical condition today, I also want to take you to see where I used to live, and then tell you a story from the past... I wonder if you still remember that when I was in high school, my mother never came to any of my parent-teacher conferences?"
Chi Shu looked at him and nodded this time, feeling a little uneasy.
"Because she passed away when I was a child... I was extremely frail and nearly died young. Furthermore, our family's fortunes suddenly suffered a setback, so they had no choice but to send me here to recuperate. The strain of traveling back and forth between places only worsened her health, and she eventually became ill from excessive worry and overwork... Even more regrettable, just as I recovered and our family's fortunes rebounded, she was no longer able to share them with us..."
The mountain wind was howling at this time, but when I looked up, I didn't see any tree shadows swaying. Only the fierce sound showed that the mountain wind in the distance was not calm at this moment.
Not long after, a torrential downpour came with lightning speed, beating out a torrential melody on the windows. There seemed to be a gentle warm breeze before, but now even the air was stained with the smell of dust.
Feng Yichen originally thought that he would be calm when he mentioned these past events again, or at least he shouldn't burst into tears like he is now. However, he still underestimated the emotions surging in his chest. Those already vague memories never faded away with the accumulation of time, and they had even taken root in his heart. Therefore, he would frown and feel sad when he mentioned them.
There is no true empathy in the world, and we cannot ignore the feelings of those who have experienced it and arbitrarily pull them out of the sea of suffering while plunging them into severe pain and suffering double torture.
Therefore, Chi Shu, who was already in tears at this time, just gently pulled the chair closer to Feng Yichen, sat up straight so that he could lean on his shoulder, and gently stroked his head with the palm of his hand, comforting him in a choked voice:
"I'm here, and I'm with you now."
This short sentence resonated deeply in Feng Yichen's heart.
He put one hand over Chi Shu's back and clasped her shoulders, lowered his head to her neck and nodded slightly in response. He was already sobbing.
The night outside the courtyard was as thick as insoluble ink. The breeze that passed through the gaps in the bamboo curtains made the candlelight cast slender shadows on the floor, pulling time into a silk thread that circled around and around, reluctant to leave. However, the strong wind in the distance rustled the leaves, as if someone was whispering in his ear, but he couldn't hear it clearly.
After an unknown amount of time, Feng Yichen calmed down, raised his head, and kept some distance.
The person in his eyes at this moment: a pair of watery autumn pupils still with wet tear marks, eyes full of concern.
He stretched out his fingertips and gently wiped away the teardrop, his throat hoarse: "I'm sorry for making you sad."
Feng Yichen's voice now had a raspy, magnetic edge. "I'm telling you this story simply to tell you that my life isn't perfect either. I even have scars that won't heal. But, fortunately, life has been kind and has blessed me with a warm dawn. So I want to try my best to hold on to it. Otherwise, there would be no beauty."
Chi Shu's eyes were filled with worry, and he didn't know how to respond for a moment.
Mentioning the past always makes people sad. Feng Yichen was still sad. Seeing that she was still worried, he comforted her:
"I'm much better now, thank you... You can put other things aside for now, but it's late at night and the dew is heavy. Your main priority right now is to quickly recover. So, you need to go upstairs and rest first."
Finally, he added, "There are two places upstairs where you can rest. My bedroom or my study has been cleaned up. You can rest in either one."
Aren’t these only two options a little too private?
Therefore, Chi Shu hesitated for a moment and then asked:
"Um... do you have a guest room? This place holds your... memories, after all."
Feng Yichen paused for a moment because of her reaction, then understood and explained in a gentle voice:
"If it's you, then it doesn't matter."
But in order to prevent Chi Shu from becoming even more restrained, he added:
"The guest room hasn't been cleaned or the bed made yet. Do you want me to drag my tired body from the journey to set up another room?"
Chi Shu was amused by his tone: "Then I'll sleep in the study."
Feng Yichen felt relieved: "Okay, whatever you say."
Chi Shu pursed his lips: "Well, good night."
Feng Yichen smiled lightly: "Good night, I wish you a sweet dream."
But unexpectedly, the person who said good night first still tossed and turned in the middle of the night, trying to sit quietly and distract himself to avoid being disturbed by the complicated thoughts, but it was in vain.
Unintentionally catching a glimpse of a bright light coming through the gauze curtain, Chi Su, while wondering if it was moonlight, had already gone over to open the curtain. Sure enough, he was given an extra surprise tonight -
The shadow of the moon kept moving in the dark night sky, and finally gradually reflected on the curtains of the soft couch. Looking through the glass window, it seemed as if half of the bright moon rose from the soft couch.
Of course, only the moon knows that there is more than one person who can't sleep tonight...
At this time, Feng Yichen had unknowingly sat in the public study in the side courtyard until midnight. He put down the book in a daze and stood up to go back to his room. He did not notice that his fingertips lightly brushed the corner of "Yu Tai Xin Yong". The rustling sound of the paper startled the birds perched on the beam, and the fluttering sound shook off half of the moonlight.
While Feng Yichen was still sitting on the sandalwood sofa in the bedroom, lost in thought, there were several knocks on the bedroom door. He immediately collected his expression and walked over to open the door. Unexpectedly, it was Feng Mingqi standing at the door holding two medicinal incense burners.
Feng Mingqi handed him the tray. "It was raining so hard just now, and the air was even more damp and cold. I was worried that you two didn't know how to take care of yourselves. I saw that your room was still lit, so I stopped by to take a look. You can give her one later."
"Thank you, uncle. I'm sorry for your trouble, but she should be asleep now. I have prepared this as well, don't worry." Feng Yichen's voice still contained a hint of hoarseness.
Hearing him say this, Feng Mingqi felt relieved and said in a gentle and gentle tone:
"You were so absent-minded at yesterday's birthday party because of her, right? And you even prepared a separate dinner for her afterwards, right? Did you just use your birthday as an excuse to get her here?"
Feng Yichen did not deny it, but just nodded slightly in silence.
"Your father is indeed not stopping you now, but will he agree in the future? After all, the responsibility you have to bear is no joke. Some methods can make your life easier and be more conducive to expanding and consolidating your foundation." Feng Mingqi sighed and said with some concern.
Feng Yichen's tone was now extremely firm:
"As long as I manage my family business diligently and do my best to fulfill my responsibilities, I believe I can get my father's consent to let me follow my heart and spend my life with my beloved."
These weighty words caused the conversation between the two people to pause for a moment. Feng Mingqi felt a little dazed, and suddenly remembered some past events. After a moment, he said no more, just told him to have a good rest, and then went back in a daze.
Years of memories, tangled with complex thoughts, surged into my mind. Suddenly, I realized that outside the bamboo curtain, a dense drizzle had begun. The raindrops fell along the roof tiles, colliding with the gradually withering and dying banana trees in the corner of the courtyard, forming a soul-stirring melody. I felt as if I could hear the soft click of a candle in the west window years ago, and I was startled to realize that this night was destined to be a sleepless night...
——
In the early morning, Chi Shu opened the window and saw a thin mist covering the mountains and plains. The sky was also gray, and the scenery was not very clear.
Seeing passers-by holding umbrellas walking on the winding road in the distance, I guessed that it must be drizzling, because I didn't hear the sound of rain at that time, and when I looked closely, I didn't see any raindrops falling.
The quiet lake, trapped among the mountains, rivers and vegetation, had changed from emerald green to yellow in color. Together with the dampness and coldness around it, it seemed to foreshadow the heavy rain and strong wind last night.
After this, time seemed to calm down, and the matters that had been weighing on their minds were tacitly put aside. Feng Yichen and Chi Shu spent a few leisurely days in this courtyard, her body gradually radiant with daily acupuncture, medicinal food, and spiritual cultivation.
Unlike his usual routine after lunch break, today, after Feng Yichen knocked on his study door, he actually said to Chi Shu who opened the door:
"Uncle heard you're leaving tomorrow. It's a rare opportunity for you to come here, and you've recovered quite well. So, I'll take you to the Herb Garden for a stroll. Just treat it as a relaxing trip. The next time you come, it might be another holiday, and the scenery will naturally be different. Do you want to go?"
Chi Shu was very excited after hearing this. After all, during the few days she lived here, every time she opened the window and saw the scenery outside, she was surprised by the refreshing view. It can be seen that the environment here is excellent. She has long wanted to go out and see it, but she was worried about bothering him.
Unfortunately, it's not possible now. She has more important things to do at this moment, so she just said: "No, we have lived here for so many days, why don't we go shopping today?"
Feng Yichen saw that she was in a rare mood today, so he readily agreed.
The bustling market and the quiet residence formed a huge contrast, and my mood also changed accordingly. I strolled around until the afternoon today, but I didn’t feel tired at all.
Previously, Feng Yichen refused to tell her the full cost of the two treatments, so Chi Shu had no choice but to return the favor - she bought a set of purple clay tea sets made of dicaoqing material specifically to please Feng Mingqi.
When Feng Yichen knew the purpose of her purchase, he had no choice but to accept it.
The off-road vehicle was driving slowly on the way back. Chi Shu looked out the window and saw only white clouds floating silently in the clear sky. He felt that everything passing by in front of him was free.
The flying birds are free, the mountain flowers are free, the whistling wind is free, even the quiet lake imprisoned in the mountains is free...
So, what are the constraints on those who are not free?
Chi Shu was also suddenly a little confused, but when he saw the slowly flowing ripples and algae in the water, the waves rolling on the rocks, the seagulls freely flying on the lake, the birds flying happily among the bamboo forest, and the warm sun surrounding him, it seemed that nothing mattered anymore.
At the same time, she had a lot of feelings because of what had happened in the past few days. She felt that she could not always immerse herself in the pain of the past and feel sorry for herself, instead forcing those who really cared about her to be hurt.
She sighed softly, looking at the mountains and trees slowly passing by outside the car window and murmured: "Feng Yichen, please give me a little more time, okay? ...If, if there is still a possibility, can you?"
Perhaps the scenery at this moment is too beautiful, or perhaps the people here seem to be in deep thought, or perhaps there are some things hanging in people's hearts that need a result.
Chi Shu was still immersed in her thoughts and didn't notice that Feng Yichen had already parked the car by the roadside and leaned closer to her when he heard her words.
At this moment, he placed one hand on the edge of the center console and the other hand on the seat back behind Chi Shu, with long fingers slightly spread out. He looked at the expression on her face and called her softly:
"Chi Shu, look at me."
Hearing the deep meaning in the tone of these words, Chi Shu came back to his senses, turned his gaze from the rolling cloud sky, and turned his head to look at him.
Feng Yichen then added, "I hope you can listen carefully to what I say next."
Seeing her gaze fixed and nodding in response, Feng Yichen continued to speak:
"I told you my feelings long ago. You may not remember some of them, so I want to say them again today, and make them... more clear.
"I know you have a knot in your heart. I can wait until it is untied. But can you please not wish me a better scenery in the future? The scenery with you is what I want in my heart. Meeting you is enough! Maybe life will inevitably encounter thorns and storms, but if you can try to get close to me, trust me, and let me share the burden with you, then these will not be a problem.
"You don't have to rack your brains on how to repay me, and you don't have to promise me right now. You can take your time to think about it. There's still a lot of time to go on, so you have plenty of time to think it over carefully. But there's one thing that won't change for me—whether it's a bright future or a promising future, I only hope that you'll be by my side along the way.
"Do you understand better now that I've put it this way?"
He had said these words a long time ago, but he never thought that when he said them again today, the taste would still be sour and bitter. However, when he saw Chi Shu nodded firmly, he felt a little relieved.
But Chi Shu said with tears in his eyes:
"I'm sorry. I won't say those words again. Thank you. Really...thank you."
A feeling of relief spread in her heart. Feng Yichen was surprised and happy at this moment. He took out a tissue from the storage box to wipe away her tears and coaxed her gently, "Are you too moved, or too sad? These few words have made you cry like this. If others saw it, they would think I bullied you."
When Chi Shu heard his tone, he couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Feng Yichen gently stroked her tear-stained cheek again: "Let's pack up now and go back to my uncle's house, otherwise my uncle will question me."
When he said these words, he didn't realize that his eyes were full of pity.
When the faint sound of wheels seemed to brush past the window in the silent night——
Listening to the loud chirping of frogs or cicadas in the distance, mixed with a few hurried barks of dogs.
Feeling the unique restlessness of the autumn night in the air, the floating light and tiny dust seemed to be suffocating. However, at this moment, in such a situation, Chi Shu felt particularly relaxed and comfortable for no reason, and she slept well tonight.
However, when daylight comes and the dazzling light fills the entire world, the various sounds that seem to echo in our ears indicate that the world is still moving.
At the same time, he also clearly told Chi Shu——
This peaceful "journey to paradise" has ended temporarily, and they still have to return to the lights of reality.
But after this experience, her state of mind has changed.
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